Visa Inc

Lead Software Engineer

Visa Inc • $173K — $276K *
Bellevue, WA 98006Hybrid
Enterprise Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's Degree, or 7 years with an Advanced Degree, or 4 years with a PhD, or 13+ years without a degree.
  • 12+ years of work experience preferred, especially with leadership responsibilities.
  • Proven track record as a technical leader affecting the entire organization.
  • Expertise in mission-critical distributed systems design and scaling.
  • Solid understanding of payment lifecycle and transaction processing.

Responsibilities

  • Design and develop scalable software systems for Visa's transaction processing platform.
  • Establish technical standards and influence architectural practices across the organization.
  • Lead the creation of solutions for high-volume payment processing and real-time data movement.
  • Collaborate with various teams to deliver high-quality software solutions and design artifacts.
  • Tackle complex technical problems in cloud-native environments and distributed systems.
  • Promote engineering excellence through hands-on mentorship and technical leadership.
  • Utilize modern technologies such as Kubernetes and Kafka to enhance payment capabilities.

Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance.
  • 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
  • Flexible spending accounts (FSA/HSA).
  • Life Insurance and Wellness Programs.
  • Paid Time Off (PTO) for work-life balance.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Job Summary:

The Lead Software Engineer is the highest individual contributor technical role responsible for setting technical vision, driving architectural excellence, and solving the most complex technical challenges for Visa's Acceptance Solutions platform, focusing on transaction processing platform. This role combines deep technical expertise (40-50% hands-on) with strategic leadership, cross-organizational influence, and pioneering adoption of Generative AI and agentic AI at scale.

The Work Itself:
  • Design and build scalable, secure, and resilient software systems that support Visa's Acceptance Solutions platform and global transaction processing capabilities.
  • Set technical direction and influence architectural standards for distributed systems, platform reliability, scalability, security, and reusability.
  • Lead the development of mission-critical transaction processing solutions that support high-volume payment flows, event-driven processing, and real-time data movement.
  • Collaborate with product, architecture, security, operations, and engineering teams to create design artifacts and deliver best-in-class software solutions.
  • Solve complex technical challenges across cloud-native platforms, distributed architecture, event streaming, API security, and payment lifecycle management.
  • Actively contribute to product quality, platform modernization, value-added services, and new business flows through hands-on development and technical leadership.
  • Leverage modern technologies, including cloud platforms, Kubernetes, Kafka, and AI-enabled engineering practices, to advance Visa's next-generation payment capabilities.
  • Mentor engineers, influence technical leaders, and promote a culture of engineering excellence, innovation, continuous learning, and measurable business impact.

Essential Functions:
  • Lead the architecture, design, development, enhancement, and modernization of software solutions for Visa's Acceptance Solutions transaction processing platform.
  • Develop secure, scalable, high-quality code that complies with design specifications, engineering standards, and security best practices.
  • Provide hands-on technical leadership for complex software development efforts while influencing technical direction across multiple teams.
  • Drive design and code reviews to ensure solutions meet expectations for performance, resiliency, observability, scalability, security, and maintainability.
  • Identify and implement automation opportunities across development, testing, deployment, monitoring, and operational workflows.
  • Partner with product owners, architects, security teams, operations teams, and engineering stakeholders to align technical solutions with customer and business objectives.
  • Use production telemetry, system analysis, and operational insights to recommend improvements to architecture, code, processes, and platform reliability.
  • Support agile delivery, release readiness, on-call rotations, incident response, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement of production systems.
  • Guide the adoption of modern engineering practices, including cloud-native development, event-driven architecture, secure integration patterns, and AI-enabled development workflows.
  • Mentor senior engineers, develop technical talent, and contribute to reusable frameworks, architecture documentation, and engineering best practices.


Visa requires at least 3 days in office, expectations of these days will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

  • 10+ years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor's Degree or at least 7 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 4 years of work experience with a PhD, OR 13+ years of relevant work experience.


Preferred Qualifications:

  • 12 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor's Degree or 8-10 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 6+ years of work experience with a PhD.
  • 15+ years of experience with progressive technical leadership responsibilities.
  • Demonstrated track record as a technical leader with organization-wide impact.
  • Deep expertise in designing and scaling mission-critical distributed systems.
  • Proven ability to solve complex problems that span multiple technical domains.
  • Experience setting technical direction and influencing strategy across teams.
  • Expert proficiency in modern programming languages and system design.
  • Mastery of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), Kubernetes, and distributed architecture.
  • Deep experience with event-driven systems, Kafka, and high-throughput data processing.
  • Experience with security architecture (OAuth 2.0, JWT, mTLS, encryption, IAM).
  • Track record of mentoring senior engineers and developing technical leaders.
  • Experience pioneering AI-enabled engineering practices at organizational scale. Deep understanding of payment processing and transaction lifecycle
  • Expertise in event-driven architecture and event streaming platforms (Kafka)
  • Knowledge of payment capture processing and event enrichment
  • Experience with file transfer protocols (SFTP) and batch processing.
  • Experience in payments, financial services, or high-scale transaction processing.
  • Recognized expertise in distributed systems (publications, speaking engagements, patents).
  • Experience with AI/ML at scale, including production deployment of intelligent systems.
  • Track record of building and evolving platforms serving billions of transactions.
  • Experience working with executive leadership on technical strategy.
  • History of developing engineers who have grown into senior technical roles.
  • Experience with PCI-DSS, SOX, and financial services regulatory compliance. Understanding of payment network protocols (Visa, Mastercard, Amex)
  • Experience with event correlation and transaction matching
  • Knowledge of retry mechanisms, dead-letter queues, and event replay
  • Experience with data serialization formats (Avro, Protobuf, JSON)
  • Understanding of exactly-once processing and idempotency patterns.


U.S. Applicants Only
The estimated salary range for this position is $173,100.00 to $ 276,800.00 USD per year, which may include potential sales incentive payments (if applicable). Salary may vary depending on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this position may be eligible for bonus and equity.Visa has a comprehensive benefits package for which this position may be eligible that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), FSA/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, and Wellness Program.

Work Hours

Varies upon the needs of the department.

Travel Requirements

This position requires travel 5-10% of the time.

Mental/Physical Requirements

This position will be performed in an office setting. The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers.

About Visa Inc

Visa Bureau is an independent immigration information service providing information to individuals, families and businesses wishing to live and work or relocate staff to America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. Based in California, Visa Bureau ensures readers are given the most up to date information concerning immigration and visa policy. VisaBureau.Co is the most popular Global Migration resources families and individuals dreaming of Immigrating to a New Country. Visa Bureau contains information on making a successful move to including Eligibility, Visas, Jobs, Timeframe & Cost.

Visa Inc Careers

Join the global team at Visa Inc, a leader in digital payments, and propel your career forward with a company known for innovation, leadership, and a commitment to diversity and growth. At Visa, we are not just a payments company; we are an engine for progress, powering inclusive and sustainable commerce worldwide.

Work You'll Do

At Visa Inc, you'll be part of a dynamic team that's dedicated to making a difference. Whether you're looking for job opportunities in technology, marketing, finance, or customer service, Visa offers a range of positions that allow you to contribute to our mission of connecting the world through the most innovative, reliable, and secure payment network.

Innovate and Lead

Join a culture of innovation where your ideas can change the way the world pays and moves money. With Visa, you'll work alongside industry experts to develop solutions that enhance customer experiences and drive economic growth. Our leadership is committed to providing you with the tools and training needed to excel.

Grow Your Career

Visa Inc is committed to the professional growth of every team member. With comprehensive benefits, competitive employment packages, and opportunities for advancement, Visa empowers you to shape your career path. From internships to leadership roles, the potential for growth is limitless.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Visa, we believe our strength lies in our diversity. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone is respected, and every voice is heard. Through diversity training and a commitment to equitable hiring practices, we ensure that all team members have the opportunity to succeed.

Networking and Professional Development

Enhance your skills and expand your professional network through Visa’s global community. Participate in networking events, workshops, and seminars that are designed to bolster your industry knowledge and connect you with professionals across the globe.

Benefits and Culture

Visa Inc values the well-being of its employees. Enjoy a robust package of health, financial, and lifestyle benefits that support you and your family. Our culture promotes work-life balance, encourages curiosity, and supports the continuous pursuit of knowledge and excellence.

Join Our Team

Explore the exciting job opportunities at Visa Inc and discover how your skills and passions align with our mission. Prepare your resume, sharpen your interview skills, and get ready to embark on a rewarding career journey.

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with the latest at Visa Inc: - **Search Visa Jobs**: Find open positions that match your skills and interests. We look for passionate, curious, creative, and solution-driven team players. - **Read Careers Blog**: Stay ahead with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work here. - **Job Alert Emails**: Personalize your subscription to receive job alerts, latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. See what exciting and rewarding opportunities await. At Visa Inc, your career is a journey of endless possibilities. Join us and be part of a team that is transforming the future of payments.
Learn more about Visa Inc
Size
21,500 employees
Market Cap
$387 billion
Industry
Finance & Insurance
Net Income
$10.7 billion
Founded
1958
5 Year Trend
+9.8%
Revenue
$21.4 billion
NASDAQ
V
* Ladders Estimates

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